Vehicle tailgate lift assist support structure

ABSTRACT

A vehicle tailgate lift assist support structure is provided with a rear end structure, a tailgate pivotally coupled to the rear end structure, and a lift assist device connected between the rear end structure and the tailgate. The rear end structure includes a first wall, a hinge plate having a plate portion disposed on an inboard side of the first wall portion and a pivot bearing sleeve extending from the plate portion through an opening of the first wall, and a nut plate disposed on an outboard side of the first wall and coupled to the hinge plate. A bellcrank arm is provided that has a first end attached to the tailgate and a second end offset from a tailgate pivot axis. The first end extends through the pivot bearing sleeve. The lift assist device dampens the tailgate during opening and applies a closing torque to the tailgate during closing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/637,186 filed on Dec. 12, 2006, which in turn is adivisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/077,112filed on Mar. 11, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,260. The entiredisclosures of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/637,186 and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/077,112 are hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a vehicle tailgate liftassist support structure. More specifically, the present inventionrelates to a vehicle tailgate lift assist support structure that isreinforced and concealed within a taillight assembly receiving recess.

2. Background Information

Pickup trucks typically have a bed with a tail gate that is pivotallyattached to a pair of side body structures. Some of these tailgates ofthe larger pickup trucks can be fairly heavy, and thus, making themdifficult to open and close. In order to make the tailgate easier toopen and close, several lift assist mechanisms have been proposed.

One example of a tailgate provided with a lift assist mechanism isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,047. The lift assist mechanismdiscloses in this patent uses a compressible cylinder that is coupled tothe hinge of the tailgate to assist in lifting the tailgate. When acompressible cylinder is used to assist in lifting the tailgate, oneproblem is that additional forces are applied to the structure thatsupports such devices and the tailgate. In other words, the sheet metalportions of vehicles supporting the tailgate may not be sufficientlyreinforced to withstand the additional forces resulting from using acompressible cylinder to open and close the tailgate. Moreover, whenusing a compressible cylinder to assist in lifting the tailgate, it maybe difficult to mount the compressible cylinder in a location that iseasy to access for assembling and servicing the compressible cylinder.

In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved supportstructure within vehicles that employ such lift assist devices. Thisinvention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, whichwill become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has been discovered that reinforcement is needed in those areaswithin a vehicle include support lift assist devices.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to a vehicle witha tailgate lift assist support structure that can withstand the forcesresulting from the inclusion and use of a lift assist device for avehicle tailgate.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a vehicletailgate lift assist support structure includes a vehicle rear endstructure, a vehicle tailgate, a bellcrank arm and a lift assist device.The vehicle rear end structure includes a first wall, a hinge platehaving a plate portion disposed on an inboard side of the first wallportion and a pivot bearing sleeve extending from the plate portionthrough an opening of the first wall, and a nut plate disposed on anoutboard side of the first wall and coupled to the hinge plate. Thevehicle tailgate is pivotally coupled to the rear end structure to openand close by rotation about a tailgate pivot axis. The bellcrank armincludes a first end attached to the vehicle tailgate and a second endoffset from the tailgate pivot axis with the first end extending throughthe pivot bearing sleeve. The lift assist device includes a firstconnection coupled to the second of the bellcrank arm and a secondconnection coupled to the vehicle rear end structure to dampen openingmovement of the vehicle tailgate relative to the vehicle rear endstructure and to apply a closing torque to the vehicle tailgate duringclosing movement of the vehicle tailgate relative to the vehicle rearend structure.

These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with theannexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a vehicle having a vehicle tailgatelift assist support structure in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a rear portion of the vehicleshown in FIG. 1, showing a taillight assembly that conceals a liftassist device and the vehicle tailgate lift assist support structure inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the rear portion of the vehiclewith the taillight assembly removed to reveal a taillight receivingrecess and portions of the vehicle tailgate lift assist supportstructure disposed within taillight receiving recess in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vehicle with a tailgate in a closedposition, with a portion of a side panel cutaway to reveal the taillightreceiving recess and the lift assist device in an extended state inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vehicle with the tailgate in an openposition, with a portion of a side panel cutaway to reveal the taillightreceiving recess and the lift assist device in a compressed state inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the rear of the vehicle with the portionof the side panel removed to reveal the lower portion of the taillightreceiving recess and a lower portion of a lift assist device inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is another perspective view, similar to FIG. 6, with the sidepanel and the lift assist device removed to provide greater detail inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the lower portion of the taillightreceiving recess with the side panel removed to provide greater detailin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the rear corner of the vehicle, with theside panel completely removed to reveal the entire taillight receivingrecess in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a rear end elevational view of the rear corner of the vehiclewith the side panel removed to provide greater detail, showing thetailgate and portions of the taillight receiving recess in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the rear corner of the vehicle withselected portions removed to provide greater detail of the taillightreceiving recess in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the rear corner of the vehicle withselected portions removed to provide greater detail of the taillightreceiving recess in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a partial cross sectional view of a portion of the truck bedof the vehicle, showing the tailgate and a wall that defines thetaillight receiving recess in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a tailgate hinge structure inthe lower portion of the taillight receiving recess in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the lift assistsupport structure in an upper portion of the taillight receiving recesswith the side panel omitted to provide greater detail, in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view of the rear corner of the vehicletaken along the line 16-16 in FIG. 8, in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 17 is a cross sectional view of the rear corner of the vehicletaken along the line 17-17 in FIG. 8, in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 18 is a cross sectional view of the rear corner of the vehicletaken along the line 18-18 in FIG. 9, in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 19 is a cross sectional view of the rear corner of the vehicletaken along the line 19-19 in FIG. 8, in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 20 is a cross sectional view of the rear corner of the vehicletaken along the line 20-20 in FIG. 8, in accordance with the presentinvention; and

FIG. 21 is a cross sectional view of the rear corner of the vehicletaken along the line 21-21 in FIG. 9, in accordance with the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained withreference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in theart from this disclosure that the following descriptions of theembodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration onlyand not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by theappended claims and their equivalents.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 is illustrated that includesa vehicle tailgate lift assist support structure 12 in accordance with afirst embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 10 includes manyconventional components, such as suspension, drive train and bodycomponents that are well known in the art. Since these components arewell known in the art, these structures will not be discussed orillustrated in detail herein.

As shown in FIGS. 2-5, the vehicle tailgate lift assist supportstructure 12 includes portions of a rear end structure 14, a taillightassembly 16, a vehicle tailgate 18 and a lift assist device 20. In apreferred embodiment of the present invention, only one lift assistdevice 20 is employed along with the vehicle tailgate lift assistsupport structure 12 as described below. Although description of oneside of the vehicle 10 employing the lift assist device 20 is providedbelow, description of one side can apply to both sides in the event thattwo lift assist devices 20 are employed, as should be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art from description below and the accompanyingfigures.

The rear end structure 14 basically includes a side panel 22 formed witha taillight receiving opening 23 (FIG. 3), a taillight receiving recess24 and a tailgate support structure 26 (FIGS. 4 and 5) in accordancewith the present invention. As can be understood from the drawings andthe description of the present invention below, various sheet metalportions and elements of the vehicle tailgate lift assist supportstructure 12 are common to both the taillight receiving recess 24 andthe tailgate support structure 26.

As shown in FIG. 2 and 3, the taillight assembly 16 removably fits inthe taillight receiving opening 23 and extends into the taillightreceiving recess 24. The taillight assembly 16 is removable from thetaillight receiving recess 24 exposing the lift assist device 20 andvarious elements of the tailgate lift assist support structure 12.Further, with the taillight assembly 16 completely installed in thetaillight receiving recess 24 thereby covering the taillight receivingopening 23, the lift assist device 20 is completely concealed, asindicated in FIG. 2. As more clearly understood from the descriptionbelow and the drawings, the lift assist device 20 is entirely disposedwithin the taillight receiving recess 24.

In FIG. 4, a portion of the side panel 22 has been cutaway revealing thefull interior and depth of the taillight receiving recess 24. Further,the entire lift assist device 20 is exposed as a result of removing thecutaway portion of the side panel 22. It should be understood that atleast a portion or all of the side panel 22 has also been cutaway toexpose the taillight receiving recess 24 in FIGS. 4-15.

As shown in FIGS. 6-9, the taillight receiving recess 24 basicallyincludes a first wall 28 and a second wall 30. The first wall 28 and thesecond wall 30 are preferably generally perpendicular to one another.The first and second walls 28 and 30 basically define the taillightreceiving recess 24 along with the side panel 22. The first and secondwalls 28 and 30 include surfaces inner surfaces 28 a and 30 a,respectively. The surfaces 28 a and 30 a are both within the taillightreceiving recess 24. Further, the surface 30 a of the second wall 30 isa rearwardly facing surface with respect to the vehicle 10.

As shown in FIG. 14, the first wall 28 includes a lower portion 31 thatis formed with two apertures 32 and an opening 34 that are verticallyoffset from one another. The opening 34 is vertically positioned betweenthe two apertures 32 but is horizontally offset from the two apertures32. As shown in FIG. 9, an upper portion of the second wall 30 is formedwith two small threaded apertures 36 and a large aperture 38 that arevertically offset from one another with the large aperture 38 in betweenthe two small apertures 36. As shown in FIG. 14, a lower portion of thesecond wall 30 is formed with two threaded apertures 39.

As shown in FIG. 15, a portion of the second wall 30 includes asupporting plate 40. The supporting plate 40 includes an attachment pin42 and two apertures 44. The attachment pin 42 is fixed to thesupporting plate 40 by a threaded nut 46. Two bolts 48 extend throughthe apertures 36 in the second wall 30 and into the apertures 44 therebysecuring the supporting plate 40 to the second wall 30. With thesupporting plate 40 attached to the second wall 30, the attachment pin42 extends through the large aperture 38 in the second wall 30 and thetaillight receiving recess 24. The supporting plate 40 covers theaperture 38 thereby forming a part of the surface 30 a. Thus, theattachment pin 42 is supported on the second wall 30, an interiorsurface of the taillight receiving recess 24. The attachment pin 42serves as a connection point for the lift assist device 20, as describedfurther below.

As should be clear from the drawings and the description below, the liftassist device 20 generates forces in response to opening and closing ofthe tailgate assembly 16. A portion of those forces are transmitted tothe attachment pin 42, the supporting plate 40 and the second wall 30.The supporting plate 40 provides reinforcement to the second wall 30 inorder to withstand forces generated by the lift assist device 20 inresponse to opening and closing of the tailgate assembly 16.

The tailgate support structure 26 is now described with respect to FIGS.6-14. The tailgate support structure 26 includes a tailgate hinge 50 anda hinge reinforcement bracket 52. The tailgate hinge 50 and the hingereinforcement bracket 52 along with adjacent portions of the taillightreceiving recess 24 are configured and arranged to withstand opening andclosing forces generated by the lift assist device 20 in response toopening and closing of the tailgate assembly 16, as described in greaterdetail below.

As shown in FIG. 14, the tailgate hinge 50 includes a hinge plate 54 anda floating nut plate 56. As shown in FIG. 14, the hinge plate 54basically includes a pivot bearing sleeve 58 and a pair of bolt holes59. The pivot bearing sleeve 58 defines a tailgate pivot axis A (seeFIG. 19) about which the taillight assembly 16 pivots from a closedposition (FIG. 4) to an open position (FIG. 5). More specifically, thepivot bearing sleeve 58 forms a rotary joint about the tailgate pivotaxis A for pivoting movement of the tailgate assembly 16. Wheninstalled, the bearing sleeve 58 extends through the opening 34 in thefirst wall 28.

The floating nut plate 56 is a generally flat member that basicallyincludes a side gusset 60, an arcuate recess 62, a rectangular opening64 and two fixed threaded nuts 66. The side gusset 60 extends aroundthree sides of the floating nut plate 56. The arcuate recess 62 issufficiently large to avoid interference with positioning of the pivotbearing sleeve 58. Two bolts 68 secure the hinge plate 54 to thefloating plate 56 with the lower portion 31 of the first wall 28 clampedtherebetween, as described in greater detail below.

Referring again to FIG. 14, the hinge reinforcement bracket 52 is nowdescribed. The hinge reinforcement bracket 52 is completely disposedwithin the taillight receiving recess 24 and is directly attached to thefirst and second walls 28 and 30 (two generally perpendicular surfaces).The hinge reinforcement bracket 52 basically includes a firstreinforcing part 70, a second reinforcing part 72, an upper brace 74 anda lower brace 76. Preferably, the hinge reinforcement bracket 52 isformed unitarily from a single piece of metal, but may be formed asseparate elements welded together.

The first reinforcing part 70 includes a pair of vertically spaced apartbolt holes 78, an arcuate recess 79 and a pair of support hooks 80formed adjacent to the bolt holes 78. The bolt holes 78 and theapertures 32 in the lower portion 31 of the first wall 28 are largerthan the bolt holes 59 in the hinge plate 54. As indicated in FIG. 14,the bolts 68 are installed in the bolt holes 59 in the hinge plate 54and extend through the apertures 32 in the lower portion 31 of the firstwall 28. The bolts 68 further extend through the bolt holes 78 in thefirst reinforcing part 70 and are then threaded into the fixed threadednuts 66 in the floating nut plate 56. Since the bolt holes 78 and theapertures 32 are larger than the bolt holes 59 in the hinge plate 54,the hinge plate 54 and the floating nut plate 56 can be moved relativeto the first wall 28 and the hinge reinforcement bracket 52. Hence, theposition of the vehicle tailgate 18 can be adjusted by loosening thebolts 68, repositioning the hinge plate 54 and floating nut plate 56 andre-tightening the bolts 68. With the bolts 68 tightened, the hinge plate54, first reinforcing part 70 of the hinge reinforcement bracket 52 andfloating nut plate 56 are fixed or attached to the first wall 28. Morespecifically, with the bolts 68 tightened, the hinge plate and thefloating nut plate are urged toward one another clamping the hingereinforcement bracket 52 and the lower portion 31 of the first wall 28therebetween. The arcuate recess 79 is sufficiently large to avoidinterference with positioning of the pivot bearing sleeve 58.

The pair of support hooks 80 are configured and arranged to extendthrough the rectangular opening 64 in the floating nut plate 56. Thehinge reinforcement bracket 52 and the floating nut plate 56 arecompletely disposed within the taillight receiving recess 24.Consequently, the hinge reinforcement bracket 52 and the floating nutplate 56 are completely concealed with the taillight assembly 16installed in the taillight receiving opening 23. However, if the bolts68 are removed, the floating nut plate 56 is held in position by thepair of support hooks 80. It is therefore safe to remove the bolts 68and easily reinstall them, if necessary for any reason.

The second reinforcing part 72 is preferably formed generallyperpendicular to the first reinforcing part 70. The second reinforcingpart 72 of the hinge reinforcement bracket 52 is formed with a pair ofbolt holes 82 that receive a pair of bolts 84. The bolts 84 extendthrough the bolt holes 82 and thread into the threaded apertures 39 inthe second wall 30. The bolts 84 removably attach the hingereinforcement bracket 52 to the second wall 30. With the bolts 84securing second reinforcing part 72 of the hinge reinforcement bracket52 to the second wall 30, the hinge reinforcement bracket 52 remainsfixed in position even when the bolts 68 are removed from the firstreinforcing part 70 of the hinge reinforcement bracket 52 and floatingnut plate 56.

The upper brace 74 of the hinge reinforcement bracket 52 is preferablyformed generally perpendicular to both the first reinforcing part 70 andthe second reinforcing part 72 reinforcing the strength therebetween.The lower brace 76 of the hinge reinforcement bracket 52 is alsopreferably formed generally perpendicular to both the first reinforcingpart 70 and the second reinforcing part 72 providing reinforcement ofthe strength therebetween.

The vehicle tailgate 18 is now described in greater detail with respectto FIGS. 6 and 16-20. The vehicle tailgate 18 is pivotally coupled tothe tailgate support structure 26 to open and close by rotation aboutthe tailgate pivot axis A. As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle tailgate 18basically includes a pivot pin 86, a bellcrank arm 88 and an attachmentpin 90. As shown in FIG. 19, the pivot pin 86 has a first end 92 and asecond end 94. It should be understood from the disclosure and thedrawings that the vehicle tailgate 18 is supported by two pivot pins,one on each side of the rear of the vehicle 10. However, only one pivotpin 86 is described herein as it relates to the use of the lift assistdevice 20 and the corresponding vehicle tailgate lift assist supportstructure 12.

The first end 92 of the pivot pin 86 is attached or removably coupled tothe vehicle gate 18, as shown in FIG. 6. It should be understood, thatin conventional pickup trucks, the tailgate is often removable from therear of the pickup truck. Although not shown, the pivot pin 86 andvehicle tailgate 18 can be configured for easy separation.Alternatively, the first end 92 of the pivot pin 86 can be fixedlyattached to the vehicle tailgate 86.

The pivot pin 86 extends from vehicle tailgate 18 into taillightreceiving recess 23 through a hollow interior of the pivot bearingsleeve 58, as shown in FIG. 19 and indicated in FIG. 6. The second end94 of the pivot pin 86 is attached to the bellcrank arm 88. It should benoted that the pivot pin 86 is not shown in FIG. 14.

The bellcrank arm 88 is a generally flat elongated member having a firstend 96 and a second end 98. The first end 96 of a bellcrank arm 88 isfixedly and rigidly attached to the second end 94 of the pivot pin 86such that the bellcrank arm 88 moves with the pivot pin 86 andconsequently with the vehicle tailgate 18. The attachment pin 90 isfixed to the second end 98 of the bellcrank arm 88, as shown in FIGS. 6and 16-20. The second end 94 of the bellcrank arm 88 and the attachmentpin 90 are offset from the tailgate pivot axis A. As indicated in thedrawings, the second end 94 of the bellcrank arm 88 and the attachmentpin 90 are located on a rearward side of the rearwardly facing surface30 a of the second wall 30. The attachment pin 90 extends in a directionthat is generally parallel to the to tailgate pivot axis A and isdisposed in the taillight receiving recess 24 where it supports the liftassist device 20, as described in greater detail below. The attachmentpin 90 also extends in a direction that is generally perpendicular tothe direction of the first attachment pin 42.

The lift assist device 20 is now described with specific reference toFIGS. 3-6. The lift assist device 20 is an energy absorbing device thatis preferably a pneumatic cylinder that can also include an internalbiasing spring (not shown). As shown in FIG. 4, with the vehicletailgate 18 closed, the lift assist device 20 is in an extendedorientation. As shown in FIG. 5, when the vehicle tailgate 18 is opened,the lift assist device 20 is compressed absorbing energy and cushioningthe opening movement of the vehicle tailgate 18. Specifically, the liftassist device 20 absorbs a portion of the force generated as gravitypulls the vehicle tailgate 18 to its open position. The forces acting onthe lift assist device 20 are transmitted to two specific areas of thevehicle tailgate lift assist support structure 12. Specifically, theforces are transmitted to the tailgate hinge 50 and the supporting plate40 mounted to the second wall 30 of the taillight receiving recess 24.In other words, the lift assist device 20 is configured to dampenopening movement of the vehicle tailgate 18 relative to the vehicle rearend structure 14 and to apply a closing torque to the tailgate hinge 50during closing movement of the vehicle tailgate 18 relative to thevehicle rear end structure 14.

Preferably, the lift assist device 20 is configured to apply a closingforce of at least about 115 Newtons. Clearly, the tailgate supportstructure 26, including the tailgate hinge 50 and the hingereinforcement bracket 52, are configured and arranged to withstand thisclosing force.

The lift assist device 20 is located entirely within the taillightreceiving recess 24 and basically includes a first connection 100 and asecond connection 102 at opposite ends thereof. The first connection 100first connection of the lift assist device 20 is coupled to the vehicletailgate 18. More specifically, the first connection 100 is pivotallyattached to the attachment pin 90 on the second end 98 of the bellcrankarm 88.

The second connection 102 of the lift assist device 20 is coupled to theattachment pin 42, which is attached to the second wall 30 and forms therearwardly facing surface 30 a. Since the second wall 30 includes thesupporting plate 40, the second wall 30 is reinforced in the areaadjacent the second connection 102 of the lift assist device 20.

As used herein to describe the above embodiment, the followingdirectional terms “forward, rearward, above, downward, vertical,horizontal, below and transverse” as well as any other similardirectional terms refer to those directions of a vehicle equipped withthe present invention. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describethe present invention should be interpreted relative to a vehicleequipped with the present invention. The terms of degree such as“substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean areasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the endresult is not significantly changed. For example, these terms can beconstrued as including a deviation of at least ±5% of the modified termif this deviation would not negate the meaning of the word it modifies.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate thepresent invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that various changes and modifications can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of theembodiments according to the present invention are provided forillustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Thus, the scope ofthe invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

1. A vehicle tailgate lift assist support structure comprising: avehicle rear end structure including a first wall, a hinge plate havinga plate portion disposed on an inboard side of the first wall portionand a pivot bearing sleeve extending from the plate portion through anopening of the first wall, and a nut plate disposed on an outboard sideof the first wall and coupled to the hinge plate, the nut plate havingan arcuate recess proximal to the opening of the first wall toaccommodate the pivot bearing sleeve; a vehicle tailgate pivotallycoupled to the vehicle rear end structure to open and close by rotationabout a tailgate pivot axis; a bellcrank arm including a first endattached to the vehicle tailgate and a second end offset from thetailgate pivot axis with the first end extending through the pivotbearing sleeve; and a lift assist device including a first connectioncoupled to the second of the bellcrank arm and a second connectioncoupled to the vehicle rear end structure to dampen opening movement ofthe vehicle tailgate relative to the vehicle rear end structure and toapply a closing torque to the vehicle tailgate during closing movementof the vehicle tailgate relative to the vehicle rear end structure. 2.The vehicle tailgate lift assist support structure as set forth in claim1, wherein the nut plate is coupled to the hinge plate by a fastenerextending through a hole formed in the first wall.
 3. The vehicletailgate lift assist support structure as set forth in claim 2, whereinthe fastener is a bolt inserted from the inboard side of the first walland engaging a nut fixedly coupled to the nut plate.
 4. The vehicletailgate lift assist support structure as set forth in claim 1, whereinthe nut plate is coupled to the hinge plate by a first fastenerextending through a first hole formed in the first wall above theopening and a second fastener extending through a second hole formed inthe first wall below the opening.
 5. The vehicle tailgate lift assistsupport structure as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first and secondfasteners are bolts inserted from the inboard side of the first wallportion and engaging first and second nuts fixedly coupled to the nutplate.
 6. A vehicle tailgate lift assist support structure comprising: avehicle rear end structure including a wall having a rearwardly facingsurface with a supporting plate attached to the wall and a firstattachment pin coupled to the supporting plate and extending in arearward vehicle direction; a vehicle tailgate pivotally coupled to thevehicle rear end structure to open and close by rotation about atailgate pivot axis; a bellcrank arm including a first end attached tothe tailgate and a second end offset from the tailgate pivot axis, thesecond end of the bellcrank arm being located on a rearward side of therearwardly facing surface; and a lift assist device including a firstconnection coupled to the second end of the bellcrank arm and a secondconnection coupled to the first attachment pin to dampen openingmovement of the vehicle tailgate relative to the vehicle rear endstructure and to apply a closing torque to the vehicle tailgate duringclosing movement of the vehicle tailgate relative to the vehicle rearend structure.
 7. The vehicle tailgate lift assist support structure asset forth in claim 6, wherein the first attachment pin has a distal endcoupled to the second connection of the lift assist device at a locationrearward of the rearwardly facing surface with respect to the vehiclerear end structure.
 8. The vehicle tailgate lift assist supportstructure as set forth in claim 6, wherein the second end of thebellcrank arm further includes a second attachment pin generallyparallel to the pivot axis of the vehicle tailgate.
 9. The vehicletailgate lift assist support structure as set forth in claim 8, whereinthe first and second attachment pins are generally perpendicular to eachother.
 10. The vehicle tailgate lift assist support structure as setforth in claim 6, wherein the first attachment pin includes a mountingportion fixedly coupled to the supporting plate and a ball end rotatablycoupled to the second connection of the lift assist device.
 11. Thevehicle tailgate lift assist support structure as set forth in claim 8,wherein the second attachment pin includes a mounting portion fixedlycoupled to the bellcrank arm and a ball end rotatably coupled to thefirst connection of the lift assist device.
 12. The vehicle tailgatelift assist support structure as set forth in claim 6, wherein thesupporting plate is attached on a frontwardly facing surface of thewall.